Review: Mario Kart World takes big swings, but the open world feels like an afterthought

Mario Kart World is an excellent evolution of the series, with exciting new modes like Knockout Tour and drastic changes to the formula, like doubling the number of racers in each race. While it took some time for me to acclimate to these big changes, partially because it's been over a decade since the last time a new Mario Kart was released, some choices don't work as well. The Free Roam mode is a complete miss, between lackluster activities and terrible tracking for those activities. Some of the interconnected races from the Grand Prix feel more like driving on the highway than racing around a Mario Kart track, but every track can be played in the traditional lap-based mode. While it's not the single-player epic I wanted with the Switch 2 launch line-up, Mario Kart World is an essential purchase for the new Nintendo console.